The jackpot is now $88,169,669. Soon it will be worth more > Ridgefield Press editorial

Monday, 20 June 2011

Ridgefield Press Headline: Should Finance board sit in on [town] union talks?

I say “sure”, why not? A member of the Board of Finance is already able to do that for BoE teacher negotiations.

To date, the rationale for this minor organizational change on the town side has been buried in mis-information and a sea of red herrings.

The Board of Finance has NOT suggested that it wants to negotiate labor contracts alongside the BoS. They just want a place at the planning table.

In fact, the BoF has NO place negotiating along side the BoS, any more than it does with the BoE.

While I subscribe to more inter-board dialogue, public tri-board meetings, that’s where it ends. Each board has a function. Checks and balances should be preserved.

Consider the following: The BoF is the only board tasked with tracking the town’s overall finances so let’s look at their utility in that context.

1.    The Board of Finance can break out the total town-wide costs of the entire labor pie, including salaries, insurance, medical, pensions.

2.    The BoF should be allowed to present such data that would support a notion that if there is to be less pressure on tax payers going forward, only an x% labor increase should be contemplated for that pie -- short term plus long term, i.e. salaries plus pensions & benefits.

3.    The BoF should be encouraged to offer (if they have anything to offer) their perspective on possibly more nuanced approaches to achieve those goals.

And that’s where the Board of Finance involvement should end in my opinion.

From then, the BoS & BoE should act independently. Periodically, in executive session, the boards can (and probably should) discuss their progress with the BoF.

There are differences in how labor negotiations are currently conducted in Ridgefield.

The BoE has PROPERLY included several members of their board on the negotiating team along with a labor relations attorney, the superintendent of schools as well as a representative of the BoF (currently David Ulmer).

On the flip side, the current first selectman likes to negotiate the town contracts ALL BY HIMSELF. (The Human Resources Director is present but that person reports directly to the first selectman.)

In my opinion, this process smacks of politics and conflict of interest as the negotiation is between politician and constituents.

The first selectman currently makes progress reports or presents completed contracts to members of his board (the BoS) for their ratification. Yet none of those members attend any of the negotiation sessions nor have they been encouraged to join the process.

Yet, quoting selectman Manners, this process has “worked very well.” I wonder on what she bases this comment. As compared to what — wishful thinking, political allegiance, convenience? There are certainly no facts or statistics that I know of to support this statement but it must have felt comforting to state that for the record.

The first selectman, like any good politician who wants to assure an outcome, presents a report from his vantage point and since NO ONE ELSE from his board attends any negotiation sessions, who’s to disagree — or even has grounds — for serious discussion about his approach to the negotiation or with the first selectman’ assessment of its outcome. Moreover, there is no real ability to discuss the long term implications of these contracts on future tax rates & by then, it’s too late anyway.

In the Ridgefield Press of June 2, 2011, Mr. Marconi is reported to have stated “[...] that with 12 years of contract negotiations experience, he understands the budget implications of contract decision without advice from the Board of Finance.”

If accurately stated in the press, I take the following from that statement: Mr. Marconi has nothing to learn. He has done it right for 12 years and sees no room for possible improvement.

An open discussion with the only board that is ultimately responsible for the town’s financial health only intrudes on his ‘territory.’ It seems he may be resistant to change for some reason other than than for the public good.

This is a very foolish position to take in my opinion. A good idea — no matter where it comes from — should be welcomed and embraced, not mired in territoriality and rejected as out of hand.

If we are to compare our town’s first selectman to a CEO (vs a political leader), then asking all management parties to the table in order to get the town’s financial ducks in a row before starting a negotiating season should be a no-brainer.

Considering that labor costs represent at least 71% of Ridgefield’s entire $124 million dollar budget, I firmly believe exploring this kind of reorganization to include the Board of Finance in labor negotiations is a vital step in making Ridgefield’s financial future more conducive to growth.

Propaganda & Baloney > Ridgefield Press 04/23/2011

The parents' education about the mandated $850k reduction in this year's requested 2.9% ($2,255,634) school budget increase was a "somber evening" intoned Ms. Low.

Baloney. A somber evening is when someone dies.

But Ms. Low was trying to send a message: the Board of Finance has done your kids a terrible wrong.

More baloney. Almost 100% of the adjustments that were eventually revealed -- after the voluntary February adjustments -- had zero educational consequences. (Do you wonder, as I do, why those weren't introduced in February?)

Instead of launching into her proposed adjustments, Ms. Low began by regurgitating the usual incomplete charts comparing Ridgefield to other DRG-As.

This was a further attempt to rile parents.

No where was the statistic that Ridgefielders' household income was the lowest of the towns she compared us to. Misleading you say? Maybe. We report. You decide.

Then came what she didn't want to call her "recommendations" -- but merely suggestions -- for those possible adjustments.  

Another message: 'I don't support these savings' ...even though we can afford them without hurting education.

Then some smoke & mirrors. We like to say Ms. Low's administration is the most transparent in recent history but I'm beginning to wonder.

Included in the adjustments was some low hanging fruit like raising RHS parking fees but she's leaving it to the high school to come up with $30k in reductions.

Then there is the expected savings from changing light bulbs but the $1.5 million capital request for that project hasn't yet been approved by the voters.

What happens if voters turn it down? 'Well, we'll find it somewhere else.' (Same for the Selectmen's budget)

A nip here, a tuck there. Death by a thousand cuts she called it but the students didn't feel the pain; only Ms. Low's ego did.

Conflict of Interest > Say it isn't so.

I was a member of two unions. I also served as an officer and negotiator for one of them and I can tell you that there are two sides to every union story. 

One is about unions doing what unions do: negotiating for more money and better benefits. The other is the management that agrees to give it to them.

Before every labor negotiation -- from the school and town side -- I've heard phrases like 'this is a difficult negotiation', 'we have no choice', 'it's not fair', 'we can't re-open contracts', blah, blah, blah.

This is what GM & Chrysler said before they went bankrupt.

Ridgefield's entire budget is $122,660,403. The town's operating budget is $30,941,427. Of that, $22,026,680 represents labor costs which is equals 71% of the town's operating budget.

The First Selectman negotiates all the multi-year labor contracts on the town side. I've never thought this was a good idea & have said so publicly and privately. There's a political conflict of interest.

In executive session (no records), the First Selectman presents the final agreement(s) he has negotiated to the other board members. With no first hand knowledge of the issues, the board consistently votes to support these labor contracts -- not three but four blind mice.

Wouldn't you think even ONE other board member would attend these negotiations to offer their perspective & to grasp the issues? I do. Yet, to the best of my knowledge, this doesn't happen.

I think this should be part of a selectman's commitment to the voters if they are going to vote on 71% of the town's budget.

The rest of the budget review that they make such a show of annually involves only the crumbs from the loaf.

A Ridgefield Scenario.

A guy owns 28 acres of land which to date is un-developed. For whatever reason it cannot be or has not been developed. This guy's taxes on the land are miniscule as it's listed as farmland. (+/- $.35 an acre -- a rate set in 40's). And it's just been sitting there collecting earth worms.

Maybe the guy needs money, maybe he just wants to get rid of it. He's probably tried to sell it on the open market. Maybe there was no interest or no buyers at the price he was seeking -- $1 million.

So he picks up the phone & dials Ben Oko (Chairman of Land Conservancy)

'Hey, Ben, I've got some open space for you..... How does 28 acres in Ridgebury sound? I can let the whole thing go for $1 million. Any interest?'

Ben: 'Wow! Cool. Neato. Boondoggle. Fantasmgoric. I'm in. I'll put the deal together.'

Ben calls Rudy Marconi

Ben: 'Rudy, 28 acres have come on the market which I want for the conservancy. The guy wants $1 million but I've only got $650k. Can you get me the other $350k so I put this deal to bed. Time is of the essence. It's gotta get done fast, can't wait for the budget referendum....'

Rudy: 'Yeah but I'll have to have a reason to spend the $350k because the voters are in a foul mood. Guarantee me a site for a cell tower that will earn the town $100k annually & I'll use that to counter the why-are-we-spending-$350k-at-this-time-argument & probably get it by the voters.'

Oko: 'Ok but....'

And the two of them work out a one page badly constructed contract between the town & the Conservancy setting out the ownership of the land & setting out the conditions & parameters for constructing the tower.

The contract doesn't pass the smell test at a BoS mtg thanks mostly to the 3 people in the audience who, grumble, ask questions about the town's involvement, question the site, the cost & the contract. Too many questions, not enough answers. The decision is delayed & Dr. Oko leaves pissed off.

Changes are made to the contract, it passes the BoS & it moves to the BoF who approves the $350k if the voters agree & Rudy goes off on an education campaign about how neat it would be to have a cell tower in that location.

Lost are the details of the real reasons why this deal came together.

Now What?

Opinion Column posted @ Ridgefield Press OnLine. Click Here

03/31/11 Ridgefield Press Letter to the Editor

In my opinion, the ignorance demonstrated at the March 24th budget meeting was nothing short of astounding.
 
The four or five kids who stood up, while I was present, to comment on the budget were the only ones who made any sense: They wanted their art and German and alternative classes preserved. What they said was heartfelt. They counted on the adults to make the right decisions for them.
 
And their point is THE ONLY POINT except for one salient detail: It's the Board of Education, NOT the Board of Finance, that is responsible for cutting teachers and classes before finding other economies.
 
What a game Ms. Low plays. And she's got it down pat. Cut the classes & activities that have thefewest "customers" and the least amount of blow back and use that to scare the rest of the parents into a stampede away from those who actually make the cuts. Nice.
 
I referred to you parents as sheep in another letter. OK, some of you got insulted. Sorry if I offended you but try to look past my rudeness to the point I am trying to make.
 
You parents are solely responsible for the diminishing educational values in the schools, not the Board of Finance.
 
The whole vociferous group of you who showed up at the budget meeting -- and I applaud you for that -- should go to the Board of Education meetings and give Superintendent Low & the rest of them a talking to about the educational priorities you want for your children.
 
What I witnessed at the Budget hearing was like watching a herd of wildebeest go over a cliff.
 
Those who spoke were blinded to what is going on, how the system actually works.
 
What I heard that night from most of the adults who spoke up was pure tarradiddle. 

Teacher's Unions Explained

The Speech That Never Was > Town Budget Meeting 03/24/11

My name is Jan Rifkinson. I live at 169 New Road. I am retired. My better half, Carol, still has a full time job; she has not had a raise in several years. We are squarely in what was once known as the middle class.

In my opinion, many of us don't know very much about our budgets and we think about them even less. Yet we vote on them as though we know what we are doing.

When the League of Women voters recently held an Ask Ridgefield a Question, maybe 20-25 people showed up. Very few ever attend Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance or Board of Ed meetings. And Town meetings are relatively vacant even though we are governed by the purest form of democracy. Shame on us.

In our annual budget process, the usual divide is between the Town & the Schools so let's talk about that.

Of course children are important, perhaps the greatest asset in life, but they are not to be measured only by how much we spend on them. Of course our homes may be one of our biggest investments but it no longer represents the best rate of return that it once did. 

Of course families move to Ridgefield because we have fine schools but please accept the fact that Ridgefield was rated the #1 town in CT LONG BEFORE we had an $82 million dollar school budget or full day kindergarten so our current school system is not always the PRIMARY ATTRACTION to Ridgefield.

In fact, I know many people who currently live here, are building here or have moved here, not because of the schools, but because Rigefield is just a wonderful, safe, peaceful, friendly town with a lot of amenities.

Those amenities include a library, a recreation center, a theatre barn, a senior center, 17 athletic fields & various public parks, a symphony orchestra, a grand new Boys & Girls Club, a guild of artists, 2 museums, an 18 hole golf course, a playhouse, lots & lots of open space, free summer activities, an historic past, three pubic swimming pools, a beach, forested walking paths, a classic New England Main Street, a neighborly attitude towards seniors & grants for the less fortunate including meals-on-wheels, a bus service for those who are too old or infirm to drive, the Women's Center, Ann's Place, just to name a few.

Roughly 20% of our total budget supports all those things that help make Ridgefield, Ridgefield for EVERYONE in the community. 80% of our budget supports the schools which also makes Ridgefield, Ridgefield but only serves 1/3 of our residents -- some say it's one fifth.

Because of this disparity in services I think that, like some children, the school budgeting process needs more discipline.

FIRST: DON'T continue to negotiate labor contracts that can't be supported & that will eventually cut into educational values. SECOND: DON'T initiate new programs like full day kindergarten without a long term plan as to how it will be financed without sacrificing other grade levels. THIRD: classes & teachers should not be on the chopping block when there are other cuts to be made first.

I am NOT AGAINST EDUCATION. I am against the notion -- and I am sick & tired of hearing -- that our schools are the ONLY thing that makes Ridgefield attractive. Surely it is ONE of the things but NOT the ONLY thing. As for property values, it should be clear to everyone by now that the school system is not THE ONLY THING that affects our property values. ...The other day I actually heard someone state that having a spray bay at the Recreation Center would enhance our property values. PLEASE find another slogan.

Every year I hear the same lecture: we are only talking about $350 dollars, that's about 2 cups of Starbucks per week. But suppose for a moment, instead of a $350 dollar increase, it was a $3,500 dollar increase. Be honest, would all of you feel the same way about the value of education? I'm not so sure. The point is everyone & everything HAS A LIMIT.

And for a good many people in Ridgefield that limit may be represented by the constant drip, drip, drip of $350 on top of the other increments in clothing, food and fuels and FOR THEM it may be too much. So you should stop thinking about it purely from your point of view.

In the first 10 years of living in Ridgefield my taxes doubled. Carol and I can still afford to live here. But, if they double again. Then we will no longer be able to live here. I'm not sure pricing people like us (or anyone) out of town is ultimately good for Ridgefield. Do you? It's possible you do...

...For in this very auditorium I have heard comments like if you can't afford to live in Ridgefield, you should move. How do you think that sounds? How about if I said -- All you rich, entitled people: please move to Wilton or Darien or New Canaan where they have better school systems & possibly lower property taxes. Take all your demands, entitlements, fabulous & expensive tastes & go elsewhere. It wouldn't be very nice, now would it?

The point is we should all be able to rise above the knee jerk politiking & sky-is-falling rhetoric, look at all our neighbors & say: how can we help the broadest swath of Ridgefielders with our current tax dollars, especially now when -- in Ridgefield -- 6% of us are un-employed and more are under-employed, when the food bank has never been busier, when there have been 22 foreclosures in the past 14 months, when all our social service programs have been cut, when SOME unions opened their current contracts & agreed to givebacks, when we've had layoffs, when the library will probably be forced to close two evenings a week, while household income is down, while town income is flat & the national economy -- except for wall street -- is still in the doldrums.

You don't station people at the polls on voting day and send out email blasts to your memberships stating that TOO MANY seniors are going to the polls or that the "wrong people" are voting in large numbers. What kind of statements are those? What kind of attitude generates those sort of statements? Please take a moment to think about this.

Unlike some on the Board of Education, I'm not Pollyanna nor a Casandra when it comes to the economy. I know things WILL improve but it will be in a few years &, in my opinion, the best way to go forward AS A COMMUNITY is if we start to think INCLUSIVELY rather than EXCLUSIVELY.

No town department -- which, like it or not, includes the schools -- can create a budget in a vacuum. We live in a mini-global economy right here in Ridgefield. Everything we do now has a ripple effect.

Whether or not you are planning on living here permanently, please educate yourselves on some of the broader issues affecting this town & consider the long term consequences that will affect everyone before you make demands or vote yea or nay on ANYTHING in this budget. Thank you.

Labor vs Education > Letter to the Editor, Ridgefield Press, Published 2011/03/17

Parents, PTA, READ, etc -- you are all sheep. Why do you exhibit only Pavlovian reactions to school budgets without considering the consequence?

You use your considerable organizations to pressure taxpayers to pay more, but not for education. Of the approved 2010 budget, 81.12% went to salaries & benefits, NOT to education.

High School: 1 Principal, 4 Assistant Principals, 4 Deans. Really?

What is the school doing with the $59,800 taken in Tiger Hollow gate receipts? This could have been a German class.

Students from 7-12 grades could supply their own netbook to plug into the schools' formidable IT system & save several hundred thousand dollars annually. How many teachers would that represent?

And none of this would cost taxpayers one extra penny.

Believe it or not, I stand with you on educational values. So you tell me, what's wrong with the current picture:

1. Middle school German will be eliminated (Mandarin was already cut)

2. Again, no literacy teacher will be hired

3. Art classes will again be reduced

4. Eight teachers will be cut next year

Clearly, labor is costing your children some education.

The political pressure applied by you parents, PTAs and READ is misplaced. Like a laser beam, you should be focused on labor costs which can be contained. Excellent teachers should be paid more. Bad teachers should find another job.

I believe in the right to negotiate but I believe it is time to change our approach to labor negotiations in order to benefit our children's education.

We are not beholden to the unions. This attitude has been exhibited in the past but times change, the truth emerges and our negotiating principles must change too.

We CAN re-open contracts. I ask you: what do you think is going to happen next year when teacher payroll goes up 3.0%?

Mark my words, education will suffer.

01/31/2011 Letter to the Editor > Ridgefield Press "What, me Worry?"

Carol and I just returned from a little trip to Costa Rica & I came back a changed human. It was a wonderful, laid back  adventure. The natives were courteous, warm & welcoming; the weather delicious. It relaxed me, put things in perspective.

I now consider asking taxpayers for $167k to hose down some six year olds at the recreation center that already loses about $600k annually just another quaint Ridgefield idea. So is building a $20 million dollar library during these economic times.

The Board of Selectmen spending so much energy not approving a full (from part) time salary for Fred, our diligent parking cop, which would have been funded from the Branchville Parking fees while, simultaneously hiding a million dollar mistake in executive sessions.... Eh! Who cares?

And a measly 2.87% school increase on an $80 million dollar school budget. Oh pish.... that's just $2.25 million. What's that? A matter of foregoing eight or nine cups of Starbuck's coffee?

Finally, instead of the BoF asking embarrassing questions, I say give the Board of Ed the entire $89k they requested for a new boiler even though they will be reimbursed $60k by insurance (which they didn't mention). They can use the extra money for something educational.....or not.

That Ridgefield's income is flat and that property owners have lost another 6% of their home value just last year (http://tinyurl.com/5srjg5c) no longer concerns me. I'm calm and confident Ridgefield will rebound in the next 8-10 years.

In the meantime, raising property taxes a few points annually shouldn't cause alarm. We have a wonderful school system -- in the middle of the educational pack -- propping up our property values. And parents of kindergarten aged kids now have more free time to "shop Ridgefield".

I agree with Mr. Jewell. This space should be reserved for friendly letters.

12/09/10 Ridgefield Press > Letter to the Editor re: my political foray

While Keith Miller sat there, bored by the proceedings, reading his newspaper and texting, I sat before the Board of Selectmen with the earnest expectation that what I had to say would actually be considered in deciding who would take Joan Plock's seat. I read an opening statement (http://tinyurl.com/2dze8cg).

Why did I have this expectation? Because CT statute 922 stipulates, that in case of an early vacancy on the Board of Selectmen, any candidate: Republican, Independent, Green Party, Tea Party, Coffee Party or Un-affiliated, could throw their hat in the ring (Democrats couldn't because of minority rules).

Little did I know that I was playing the naif, the naive fool. The questions directed to me should have given me a clue.

Ms. Manners: What do you think about social services?
Answer: I like them.

From Ms. Masters: Where did I see Ridgefield in the near term?
Answer: I don't know since we are too busy scrambling to stay afloat.

From Mr. Bodner: a tight lipped lecture about my campaigning against budgets.
Answer: We need more strategic, long term thinking. May I suggest more Tri-board meetings.

From Mr. Marconi: nothing.

Soon it became clear this was only an exercise.

The First Selectman announced he had promised the seat to the Republicans. From Barbara Manners: It should go to a woman. From Di Masters: I agree with Barbara. Some women in the audience were outraged. No comment from Selectman Bodner. The audience wasn't allowed to comment.

This was a farce. It diminished the process. It diminished the Board of Selectmen.

The entire process disgusted so many people, of all political stripes, that the decision may now be taken out the hands of the bumbling Selectmen and sent to referendum for a town-wide election.

And so ends another shallow chapter in Ridgefield politics.

What, me worry? -- Alfred E Newman

Town of Ridgefield Zillow Home Value Index

Town of Ridgefield Home Values - Interactive chart

"A Blue Xmas Tale" published in The Ridgefield Press Dec 23, 2010

Attention Kmart Shoppers. We have a Blue Light Special on Worker's Compensation Insurance.

We also have a clue about those tacky blue lights in front of Carnall Insurance that litter our beautiful Main Street every holiday season. I think it involves MIRMA.

Whatza MIRMA? Well, boys & girls, MIRMA is an insurance pool that Ridgefield joined in 2006 because it was $200,000 cheaper than Carnall Insurance. Except MIRMA went bust and Ridgefield has been nicked for about $1 million as our share of MIRMA's troubles which means we're taking an $800,000 bath.

A little history is in order.

In 2004 MIRMA was $2.2 million in the red. In 2005 the state Insurance Commission suggested shutting it down. Yet in 2006, with MIRMA's losses mounting, Ridgefield moved the town worker's compensation insurance to MIRMA. Why?

That's question 2.

Question 1 is who did due diligence on MIRMA & recommended it?

By 2010, 3 years after Ridgefield left MIRMA, its debt was up to to $10 million.
Sixty communities joined MIRMA. Nevertheless, according to some lawyer's calculations, Ridgefield's share of that debt is the aforementioned $1,000,000.

But if you divide $10,000,000 by sixty you get $166,666. And yet we're told we have to pony up $1,000,000. Huh? What happened to the $166,666?

This situation stinks as far as I'm concerned. I don't think we should move ahead with additional payments (we've already handed over $174,000) until all taxpayer questions have been answered in an open forum.

Don't you think a $1,000,000 is a good reason to call a town meeting? I do.

Finally, is it possible that Carnall put up the blue lights to indicate their displeasure when we left them? If so, how cheesy can an insurance company get?

And that, boys and girls, is the tale of the Blue Light Special. Ho, Ho, Ho.

Politics > Filling a vacancy on the Board of Selectmen

My opening statement delivered to Ridgefield's Board of Selectmen, December 1, 2010.

A reporter asked me what in my experience makes me a good candidate for Board of Selectmen? It was a good question. I'm going to endeavor to answer it.

I have enjoyed living in a small town for the last 29 yrs, Pound Ridge for 17 years, Ridgefield for 12 years.

In Ridgefield I have been excited by, frustrated by & have admiration for, our form of government, i.e. the town meeting, the direct connection between the citizen & the governing bodies.

As for my Ridgefield experience,

I served on the Charter Commission before this one which made several substantive changes in the way Ridgefield currently functions, an accomplishment I'm proud of.

I am familiar with many town issues because I have attended most Board of Selectman mtgs for the past 3-4 yrs, Board of Finance less so, Board of Education, Police Commission & P&Z only sporatically. Montly I rcv & review the finance reports. I understand some of it. When I don't, Kevin Redmond can atest to the fact that I call him for an explanation.

Over the years I have been a frequent contributor to the Ridgefield Press on issues that concern me. No one has ever challenged the facts of my articles or letters to the editor. In fact I have been asked to write editorial pieces -- especially around budget time -- and I have done so.

I am a frequent contributor to discussions about town issues on the Ridgefield Forum which is supported by the Ridgefield Press.

As the members of the board know from reading my resume, my professional life was spent in television -- both news and entertainment and you may be wondering how my background has relevance to my candidacy.

I'd like to say that while past experience at a particular post can be very useful, it is also just as true -- in my opinion -- that a fresh look at an old problem can be just as rewarding and I think I would bring a fresh perspective to this board.

In the case of my television career -- as both a producer and director -- both management positions, I had to work with diverse groups of people.

1. Being a director/producer teaches one the necessity of working in concert.
2. Television also teaches creative approaches to problem solving.
3. While directing Live Television forces one to make decisions
4. Directing Live Television also requires thorough preparation so, hopefully, one can make appropriate decisions.

I have never been afraid to ask 'why' or to say 'I don't understand' or 'will you explain that to me?" or to research or to investigate independently.

My news experiences, working with luminaries like Walter Cronkite, Mike Wallace, Don Hewitt & others taught me to deal in facts, rather than dwell on wishful thinking.

In various positions at the networks, as with startups, working on prime time specials & for independent projects, I've had to formulate & was responsible for, million dollar budgets & working within those budgets.

I served on the national board of the Directors Guild of America, & in that capacity, took part in negotiating a number of labor contracts.

I think it's very important for you to understand that I'm pretty much a W-Y-S-I-W-Y-G person, what you see is what you get.

I have no hidden agenda. I don't have kids in school, I don't aspire to higher political office, I don't belong to a political party.

My Ridgefield acquaintences are varied: home owner, senior, young parent, shop keeper, service worker, upper class, middle class, working class. Some individuals in that circle are more liberal or more conservative than I am. Yet I thoroughly enjoy open discussions with all of them.

Although I understand partisan politics I don't believe in partisan governance, i.e. for me, as I'm sure it is for all of you, governance should be based on what is beneficial to all constituents, a balance for the entire community.

So why am I sitting at this table just now?

1. You should know this was not a snap decision on my part.

2. For many, many months I have been considering the possiblity of running for a BoS seat in 2011

3. Many people encouraged me to come out from behind my computer to do so but I never felt comfortable about doing it from a Democratic or Republican party platform.

4. The application of CT Statute 922 has now permitted me the luxury of not having to make that political decision & has allowed me, as an un-affiliated candiate, to volunteer my time to this board.

I like to think of this opportunity to serve as the kind of citizen candidate the founding father's envisioned, rather than as a member of the political class.

Given the opportunity, I can only hope that I could be half as wise as some of them turned out to be.

Thank you for this opportunity to address you & -- of course -- I will be happy to answer any of your questions or any questions that the audience might have for me. 

I was not the selected candidate for the open position. There will be more on this little saga in future posts. 

Finally entering the fray

Three seek Ridgefield selectman seat

Written by Kate Czaplinski, Press Staff
Saturday, 27 November 2010 06:20

Marty Heiser

Maureen Kozlark

Jan Rifkinson

At least three candidates — a longtime Board of Finance leader with GOP backing, a former school board member who served nearly a decade, and a vocal spending critic who decided to “get out from behind the computer” — are applying to fill the vacant seat on the Board of Selectmen, left by Joan Plock’s resignation.

First Selectman Rudy Marconi said a few other Ridgefielders have voiced interest, but so far, the board is scheduled to interview finance board member Marty Heiser, former schoo board member Maureen Kozlark and Jan Rifkinson, who is a regular at board meetings and vocal on town issues.

They will be interviewed publicly at the Wednesday, Dec. 1 meeting, Mr. Marconi said. The selectmen are expected to choose a replacement the same night to meet a 30-day satuatory deadline ending Dec. 5. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. in the town hall large conference room.

Mr. Heiser, a 14-year member of the Board of Finance and local weekly television show host, was supported unanimously by the Republican Town Committee last Thursday.

“I feel honored and humbled by the endorsement and prepared to serve if the sitting Board of Selectmen members so decide,” Mr. Heiser said.

The GOP committee formed a five-member subcommittee to find the right candidate to recommend. Ms. Plock, who resigned for health reasons, was a member. Before voting for Mr. Heiser the committee named Ms. Plock a permanent ex-officio member and touted her many accomplishments through the years.

GOP Town Chairman James Carroll said the group’s goal was to not makes this “a political situation,” but chose a candidate who was best for Ridgefield. Mr. Carroll said Mr. Heiser’s experience meant “zero learning curve” and ability to jump in and see the town through the upcoming budget season and continued economic difficulties.

“Marty has the experience of town budgets and has demonstrated collaborative work not only within the town government, but additionally outside the town organizations for various town related causes,” Mr. Carroll said.

Mr. Heiser served as finance chair for 12 of his 14 years. He ran a losing campaign against Rudy Marconi for the first selectman seat in 2003.

He has coached youth hockey, girl’s youth lacrosse and basketball in town and still serves as a hockey referee. He is also on the Boys & Girls Club board and Ridgefield Young Life board. Among his accomplishments serving the town, he said he was proud to be part of Lounsbury Farm land acquisition through “development rights,” Tiger Hollow project, Ridgefield Playhouse development and open space acquisitions.

If appointed a Republican would have to be chosen by the Board of Finance to fill his seat.

Republican Maureen Kozlark applied for the position through Mr. Marconi’s office, and did not appear before the GOP town committee. Ms. Kozlark served nine years on the school board.
“It was the November election that inspired me, with everyone working so hard, my civic duty kicked in and I decided to throw my hat in the ring,” Ms. Kozlark said.

Ms. Kozlark, a full-time Realtor, has been involved in a number of organizations in town through the years, including RACE and efforts to make Ridgefield an “anti-idling town.” She also teaches catechism at St. Mary’s.

“Just in general, I’m a hard-working board member — I do my homework, learn the different issues so I can speak to them at the meetings,” she said.

Despite some initial confusion with the Board of Selectmen appointment process, town counsel found that State Statute allows for unaffiliated voters or those registered with small parties to apply for the seat. Ms. Plock was a Republican, but unlike other elected town boards she does not have to be replaced with a Republican.

That attracted Ridgefielder Jan Rifkinson, who is unaffiliated.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while and a number of people had suggested I run and others said ‘get out from behind your computer’ and see what it’s really like,” said Mr. Rifkinson, who is active commenter on town issues on the Ridgefield Forum and usually in attendance at board meetings.

Mr. Rifkinson has lived in town for 12 years, served on the Charter Revision Commission a few years ago and is retired from a career in television where his credits included working as director and producer with Good Morning America and 20/20.

He became a vocal spending critic a few years back, before the economic collapse. During the last few years he has asked questions, done the research and learned a lot along the way, he said.

“Ridgefield is a lovely town and I think everyone tries very hard and I like everyone involved,” Mr. Rifkinson said. “At one point it was a little town and now it’s a big corporation, a $120 million corporation — we have outgrown some of our little town ways of doing things.”

He said he is grateful for all the hard work the Board of Selectmen does and he believes he brings an entirely different perspective from current members.

“I think I might bring an opportunity to take a different look at some of the problems before us,” Mr. Rifkinson said. “I bring my own personality and my own sense of questioning — I’m retired so I have more time, I don’t have a constituency and I think that’s good. I don’t have kids in the schools, no business in town. My focus is sort of town-wide rather than one particular thing.”

More than anything, Mr. Rifkinson said he is excited with what he sees as a very “democratic” process for choosing a new board member.

“First of all, I wish there were more candidates and second of all I hope the room is packed,” Mr. Rifkinson said. “It’s an opportunity for people who have not started in through normal paths to get into town government — I think that’s very good.”

If the Board of Selectmen fail to choose a new member by Dec. 5, according to statute, the town clerk would ask Republicans elected to town boards to choose a replacement.

Mr. Marconi has not set a deadline for interested applicants. They can contact his office at 203-431-2774 before the Dec. 1 meeting.

Fairfield County > bye, bye, seniors.

From the Ridgefield Patch: "Connecticut's senior citizens are scrambling for the border, much to the dismay of local elected officials." Read the rest of this important story. Click here.

Poverty is working its way into the suburbs > I think an argument can be made that this is affecting Ridgefield.

24/7 Wallst.com

Poverty is supposed to be primarily an urban problem. Many believe cities are home to the chronically unemployed and minorities and young people, who traditionally find it hard to get jobs in a recession.

In theory, people in the suburbs are more well-to-do and better able to keep jobs, or find them fairly quickly when they lose them.

The Brookings Institution says the suburbs are no longer safe from the poverty and low wages that unemployment bring. The think tank released research on relatively new trends:

In 1999, large U.S. cities and their suburbs had roughly equal numbers of poor residents, but by 2008 the number of suburban poor exceeded the poor in central cities by 1.5 million. Although poverty rates remain higher in central cities than in suburbs (18.2 per­cent versus 9.5 percent in 2008), poverty rates have increased at a quicker pace in suburban areas.

Here's the complete article

Here's the original source for this article

See a problem > Report a problem

An interesting experiment called SeeClickFix. Click the link to see what it's about.

Opinion > Ms. Low Gets a 2% Raise (Ridgefield Press Sep 16, 2010)

During my time working on Sesame Street many years ago, there was a game called “One of these things is not like the others”.  Children were to compare a grouping of several objects and be able to point out the one that didn't belong. For example: Four green vegetables and a yellow banana.

Let's play the same game here:

1. Ms. Low is quoted as saying she is not a big fan of 'Race to the Top' and said “non-educators try to prescribe narrow quick fixes, and I think there was a little bit of that in Race to the Top.”

(I'm told Ms. Low has reduced the number of parent-teacher conferences. So much for feedback and accountability.)

2. Ms. Low instituted full day kindergarten under false budgetary pretenses.

3. From NewsTimes: "The percentage of New Canaan Public School students who achieved goal-level scores in the Connecticut Mastery Test [CMT] and Connecticut Academic Performance Test [CAPT] was significantly greater than the state average in each subject at each grade level, according to test results, which were made public earlier this month. [snip] Ninety-one percent of New Canaan third graders met or exceeded goal, as well as 89.9 percent of fourth-graders, 91.9 percent of fifth-graders and 94.9 percent of sixth-graders, according to data from the Connecticut Department of Education. Each of those four grade levels boasted the higher percentage of students meeting goal than neighboring Darien, Fairfield, Greenwich, Westport and Wilton.”

(Ridgefield didn't even make this list in the DRG. Actually, I think we were seventh in eight districts.)

4. Ms. Low “found” hundreds of thousands of dollars for non-educational expenses that WERE NOT in the budget and then couldn't afford to hire a literacy teacher that WAS in the budget.

(So much for educational priorities.)

5. Ms. Low gets a 2% raise

That dreaded Lyme disease & those damned ticks

Especially if you are a young family with kids running around the yard, read this WSJ report here.